Starter Question 13
• Read "Moderating presidential debates..." and "How
much do debates matter". I hope you that you feel
properly informed to make intelligent observations
about the debates tonight. I want to ask a variation
of yesterday's starter that we did not get to ask:
What do the participants (Obama, Romney &
Lehrer) need to do during this debate so that voters
can feel informed and have a positive impression of
either or both candidates?
Presidential Debate:
Highlights
Analyzing the issues
Final Exam Sections
• 60 multiple choice questions
• 1 FRQ
• 4 prompts will be given + 1 surprise prompt
Possible Essay
Prompts/Topics
Federalism
The framers of the United States Constitution created a federal
system.
(a) Define federalism.
(b) Select two of the following and explain how each has been used
to increase the power of the federal government relative to the
states.
• Categorical grants • Federal mandates • Selective incorporation
(c) Select two of the following and explain how each has been used
to increase the power of the states relative to the federal
government.• Welfare Reform Act of 1996 • Block grants • Tenth
Amendment
Minor Parties
1. Minor parties (third parties) have been a common feature
of united States politics.
(a)Describe the point of view expressed about minor parties
in the political cartoon above
(b) Identify and explain how two rules of the United States
electoral system act as obstacles to minor-party
candidates winning elections
(c)Minor parties make important contributuions to the
United States political system in spite of the institutional
obstales to their candidates’ success. Describe two of
these contributions
Electoral College
• 1. A significant feature of the electoral college is that most
states have a winner-take-all system.
• (a) Describe the winner-take-all feature of the electoral college.
• (b) Explain one way in which the winner-take-all feature of the
electoral college affects how presidential candidates from the
two major political parties run their campaigns.
• (c) Explain one way in which the winner-take-all feature of the
electoral college hinders third-party candidates. (d) Explain two
reasons why the electoral college has not been abolished.
Elections
In the United States political system, there are several linkage
institutions that can connect citizens to government. Elections
constitute one such institution. Because of low voter turnout,
elections represent an imperfect method of linking citizens to their
government. Even when there is low voter turnout, however, other
linkage institutions can connect citizens to government
(a) Describe how each of the following is related to the likelihood of
voting. • Age• Education
(b) Identify one current government electoral requirement that
decreases voter turnout. Explain how it decreasesvoter turnout.
(c)
Identify one linkage institution other than elections and explain
two ways it connects citizens to government.